An advert aimed at deterring binge drinking provoked anger among rape campaigners last night, who said it implied sex attack victims were to blame for their ordeal.

The seasonal advertisements feature a scantily-clad young woman who appears to have suffered a traumatic ordeal following too much alcohol.

The message attempts to dissuade female revellers from putting themselves at risk during the festive season.

While it doesn’t mention rape, Karen Ingala Smith, of the anti-violence charity Nia, said the message was clear and the campaign was a mistake.

‘The only ones being helped by the anti-rape campaign poster are rapists and the only ones who can stop rape are rapists,’ she insisted.

‘There is no other crime in which victims are made to take responsibility. We know that the vast majority of rapes are not reported to the police and women are less likely to report rapes if they are made to feel that they are responsible.

‘This campaign reinforces the excuses made by rapists as they attempt to discredit the women they rape and to justify their crime.’

Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire says it hopes its campaign will reduce crime and shock revellers into thinking twice about how much they drink.

In the posters, the girl is made up to look like a zombie next to a slogan reading ‘Night of the Reckless Drunk’.